Infrared (IR) imaging could be used as both noninvasive and nonionizing technology. Utilizing
IR camera, it is possible to measure skin temperature with the aim of finding any superficial
tumors. Since tumors are highly vascular and usually have a higher temperature than the rest of
the body, using thermograms, it is possible to assess various tumor parameters, such as depth,
intensity, and radius. In this study, we have developed an analytical method to detect tumor
parameters in both spherical and cubical tissues to represent female breast and male chest tissue.
This includes development of analytical solution for solving inverse bio-heat problem as well as
laboratory set up for further validation of the analytical achievements. The models were
developed by solving Penne’s Bioheat equation for each tissue under certain conditions and two
main assumptions:
1. The tumor was assumed as separate heat source;
2. The developed model does not change with time (steady state condition).
Finally, the analytical findings were validated by utilizing a laboratory test set-up containing an
IR camera, 1% Agar solution (tissue phantom), and a heater of variable powers. The models
were set to test by adjusting the heater (0.9W) in various depth and imaging the tissue phantom.
Comparing the analytically obtained results with the experimental results, it can be concluded
that the method is able to detect superficial tumors of small size only by measuring the body
surface temperature and ambient temperature.

Argumentation Maps support participants in geographically referenced debates as they occur, for example, as part of urban planning processes. In a quasi-naturalistic case study, 11 student participants discussed planning issues on the University of Toronto downtown campus. The analysis of this case study focuses on general usability aspects of an Argumentation Map prototype, such as cost of entry, efficiency, interactivity, and connectivity. By applying usability analysis methods from the field of human-computer interaction, we evaluate the learnability, memorability, and user satisfaction with this tool’s functionality. Our findings indicate that the participants were generally satisfied, but we include specific suggestions for improving the functionality of Argumentation Maps, e.g., with respect to map navigation, display of discussion contributions, and online status of participants. On a more general level, this case study contributes to the methods spectrum of research into participatory spatial decision support systems as an example of user testing in a realistic decision-making context.

Ultrasound stimulated microbubbles (USMB) are being investigated for their potential to promote the uptake of anticancer agents into tumor tissue by exploiting their ability to enhance microvascular permeability. At sufficiently high ultrasound transmit amplitudes it has also recently been shown that USMB treatments can, on their own, induce vascular damage, shutdown blood flow, and inhibit tumor growth. The objective of this study is to examine the antitumor effects of ‘antivascular’ USMB treatments in conjunction with chemotherapy, which differs from previous work which has sought to enhance drug uptake with USMBs by increasing vascular permeability. Conceptually this is a strategy similar to combining vascular disrupting agents with a chemotherapy, and we have selected the taxane docetaxel (Taxotere) for evaluating this approach as it has previously been shown to have potent antitumor effects when combined with small molecule vascular disrupting agents. Experiments were conducted on PC3 tumors implanted in athymic mice. USMB treatments were performed at a frequency of 1 MHz employing sequences of 50 ms bursts (0.00024 duty cycle) at 1.65 MPa. USMB treatments were administered on a weekly basis for 4 weeks with docetaxel (DTX) being given intravenously at a dose level of 5 mg/kg. The USMB treatments, either alone or in combination with DTX, induced an acute reduction in tumor perfusion which was accompanied at the 24 hour point by significantly enhanced necrosis and apoptosis. Longitudinal experiments showed a modest prolongation in survival but no significant growth inhibition occurred in DTX–only and USMB-only treatment groups relative to control tumors. The combined USMB-DTX treatment group produced tumor shrinkage in weeks 4–6, and significant growth inhibition and survival prolongation relative to the control (p<0.001), USMB-only (p<0.01) and DTX-only treatment groups (p<0.01). These results suggest the potential of enhancing the antitumor activity of docetaxel by combining it with antivascular USMB effects., Goertz DE, Todorova M, Mortazavi O, Agache V, Chen B, Karshafian R, et al. (2012) Antitumor Effects of Combining Docetaxel (Taxotere) with the Antivascular Action of Ultrasound Stimulated Microbubbles. PLoS ONE 7(12): e52307.

The purpose of this article was to address the clinically relevant question: In the presence of anxiety and/or depression, do patients who have had heart surgery engage in self-management behaviours following hospital discharge? A systematic review of 16 studies that examined the psychological condition of patients who had coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and/or valvular replacement surgery was conducted. Moderate to severe levels of anxiety and depression exist during the first month of home recovery and appear to have an effect on performance of self-management behaviors. As the influence of patients' psychological condition is continued to be examined, it is imperative for health care providers to manage increased rates of anxiety and/or depression following heart surgery. Music and relaxation therapy are presented as evidenced based recommendations for managing anxiety and depression in patients following heart surgery., Fredericks, S., Lapum, J., Lo, J. (2012). Anxiety, depression, and self-management: A systematic review. Clinical Nursing Research: An International Journal, 21(4), 411-429.

Analysis of elliptic conductors, carrying a known total current, using the point matching method (PMM) in circular-cylinder coordinates [l] failed for the values of axes ratio b / a < 05, where a and b are the major and minor axes of the ellipse, respectively. This work shows that the use of elliptic-cylinder coordinates in conjunction with the point matching method overcomes this problem. This paper is a part of the work investigating the difficulties encountered in the point matching method, and is motivated by the fact that, despite its limitations, the method is still attractive as suggested by its use in recent papers [2]-141., Magnetics Conference, 1997. 1-4 Apr 1997. EP-04 - EP-04. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/INTMAG.1997.597692

Two modeling approaches, the scaling-law and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) approaches, are presented in this paper. To save on experimental cost of the pilot plant, the scaling-law approach as a low-computational-cost method was adopted and a small scale column operating under ambient temperature and pressure was built. A series of laboratory tests and computer simulations were carried out to evaluate the hydrodynamic characteristics of a pilot fluidized-bed biomass gasifier. In the small scale column solids were fluidized. The pressure and other hydrodynamic properties were monitored for the validation of the scaling-law application. In addition to the scaling-law modeling method, the CFD approach was presented to simulate the gas-particle system in the small column. 2D CFD models were developed to simulate the hydrodynamic regime. The simulation results were validated with the experimental data from the small column. It was proved that the CFD model was able to accurately predict the hydrodynamics of the small column. The outcomes of this research present both the scaling law with the lower computational cost and the CFD modeling as a more robust method to suit various needs for the design of fluidized-bed gasifiers., Biglari, M., Liu, H., Elkamel, A., & Lohi, A. (2016). Application of scaling-law and CFD modeling to hydrodynamics of circulating biomass fluidized bed gasifier. Energies, 9(7), 504., (This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy from Forest Biomass)

A newly developed grammar-based lossless source coding theory and its implementation was proposed in 1999 and 2000, respectively, by Yang and Kieffer. The code first transforms the original data sequence into an irreducible context-free grammar, which is then compressed using arithmetic coding. In the study of grammarbased coding for mammography applications, we encountered two issues: processing time and limited number of single-character grammar G variables. For the first issue, we discover a feature that can simplify the matching subsequence search in the irreducible grammar transform process. Using this discovery, an extended grammar code technique is proposed and the processing time of the grammar code can be significantly reduced. For the second issue, we propose to use double-character symbols to increase the number of grammar variables. Under the condition that all the G variables have the same probability of being used, our analysis shows that the double- and single-character approaches have the same compression rates. By using the methods proposed, we show that the grammar code can outperform three other schemes: Lempel-Ziv-Welch (LZW), arithmetic, and Huffman on compression ratio, and has similar error tolerance capabilities as LZW coding undersimilar circumstances., J. Electron. Imaging, Vol. 15, 013021 (2006)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/1.2178792

Highly volatile requirements of mobile applications require adaptive software development methods. Several attempts to address challenges in mobile software engineering have found agile methodology to be appropriate for mobile application development. This project report provides a detailed analysis on various challenges involved in mobile software development which are addressed using Agile-SCRUM methodologies. An efficient mobile software development concept derived from Agile-Scrum methodology is designed in this project. A light-weight Android application for secure and incremental backup has been developed using the proposed methodology. An in-depth illustration of the practical experience in developing the application has been discussed. Unlike other prominent languages like Java, the use of Python for Android platform has emerged recently. Hence developing the secure-backup application in Python was a challenge, which has been dealt in this report. We believe our proposed methodology has a potential to help developers deliver improved quality of mobile applications in short time.

It has been proposed that the theory and practice of information systems development could benefit from a more explicit consideration of concepts of rationality. Habermas’ communicative rationality has been proposed as an
approach to improve the conditions for rational discourse in systems development, thereby improving outcomes (Klein and Hirschheim 1991), and applied at the project level (Ulrich 2001) and to specific episodes of managerial communications (Ngwenyama and Lee 1997). At the same time, it is understood that societal discourses and ideologies shape the external environments of organizational decision making. A variety of approaches has been proposed to analyze these discourses including qualitative techniques for reading or interpreting texts, artifacts, and social practices (Philips and Hardy 2002). This paper examines the way in which Habermasian validity claims can provide an explicit and ethical standard for critical discourse analysis in order to reveal the distortions that shape the institutional environments of technology decision making. It offers an approach to operationalizing Habermas’ validity claims for an analysis of media texts related to a case study involving learning technology., Cukier, W., Bauer, R., & Middleton, C. A. (2004). Applying Habermas’ Validity Claims as a Standard for Critical Discourse Analysis. In B. Kaplan, D. P. Truex III, D. Wastell, A. T. Wood-Harper & J. I. DeGross (Eds.), Information Systems Research: Relevant Theory and Informed Practice (pp. 233-258). Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers. doi: 10.1007/1-4020-8095- 6_14